Folding sofa-bed.



G. M. KIM.

FOLDING SOFA BED.

APPLICATION FILED 11119.23, 1911.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. M. KIM.

FOLDING SOFA BED.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1911 1,080,459. Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 BHEBTS-SHEBT 2,

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lllllllllm COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON. 0. C4

GEORGE MARTIN KIM, O15 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING SOFA-BED.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. KIM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Sofa-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding sofa beds and has for its object the provision of a device of simple construction which may be easily operated by an unskilled person and which may be arranged as a bed without being moved away from the all of the room in which it is located.

Other objects of the invention are to so arrange the parts as to permit them to be folded into a compact form when not in use as a bed; to provide space in which to store bed clothing and to permit the detachment of the cushions or mattress from the sofa frame.

Other incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and the invention consists in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device arranged as a bed; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device arranged as a sofa or davenport; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, showing the device arranged as a sofa in full lines and in dotted lines showing the manner of manipulating the cushions or mattresses and other supports to form a bed; Fig. t is a detailed View showing the parts of the pivotal support separated and in perspective.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide a frame having a back member 1 and corner posts or supports 2, the upper ends of the posts being connected by rails 3 at the ends of the back 1 which constitute arms as will be readily understood. A box, consisting of a bottom t, a front wall or plate 5, end plates 6, and a back wall 7, is built between the posts or supports 2 and this box constitutes a receptacle for the bed clothing when the device is in use as a sofa or davenport. The back wall or plate 7 terminates below the upper back member 1 and thereby provides an opening or space 8 which will aid in ventilating the cushions or mattresses employed in the device. The front wall or plate 5 is provided wlth a rail or ornamen- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 23, 1911.

Patented lDcc. 2,1913.

Serial n 645,645.

tal molding 9 upon which the cushions rest as shown clearly in Fig. 3. Upon the inner faces of the end walls 6 are secured socket plates 10 provided with notches 11 in their upper edges and having curved ribs or projections 12 formed on their inner faces and terminating at the said notches, the said ribs or projections consequently serving as recesses or sockets to support the pivot pins 13 on the edges of the cushion 1 1 These pivot pins are preferably formed integral with a base plate 15 which is secured to the cushion by screws or similar fastenings 16 and enlarged heads 17 are formed on the ends of the pivot pins adapted to engage .in the sockets presented by the curved ribs 11, and thereby support the cushion within the sofa frame. It will be readily understood that inasmuch as the upper cdges of the socket plates are open or notched, the pivot pins may be readily lifted therefrom and as easily dropped into engagement therewith, while the enlarged heads of the pivot pins will hold the cushion properly spaced between the ends of the frame.

The cushion 14L may be secured directly to a rigid frame or the device may be otherwise upholstered, as will be readily understood, and this cushion is preferably of such width as to extend to the front side or edge of the frame, thereby constituting a seat for the sofa, when the same is used as a davenport, and also forming a part of the bed when the device is to be used for sleeping. The pivot pins 13 are secured to the ends of the frame 18, which carries the cushion lst, and the front rail of the said frame rests upon the rail or molding 9 of the supporting frame, so that the cushion or mattress folded against the under side of the said cushion 14, as well as the bed clothing, will be completely hidden from view. The pivot pins are located a slight distance in advance of the extreme rear edges of the cushion 1 1 and frame 18 and the said cushion and frame terminate within the opening 8 so that they may be swung upward and rest against the upper back member 1 of the device, and be thereby supported in position to permit the unfolding of the sup plemental mattress or cushion without necessitating the removal of the device away from the wall of the room, the ventilating opening between the back members being imme diately adjacent the back edge of the cushion and thereby accommodating the swinging movement of said edge. To the under side of the frame 18, at the ends thereof, 1 se cure hinge members or leaves 19, while mating leaves or hinge members 20 are secured to the ends of a frame 21 carrying the supplemental cushion or mattress 22. The said hinge members or leaves 19 and 20 are connected by a hinge 23 and their meeting ends are located back of the front side of the frame 18 so as to offer no obstruction to the contact of the said frames with the support presented by the front plate 5 and the rail 9. This construction and arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and will be readily understood. The hinge member 20 is somewhat longer than the hinge member 19 so as to provide an extended surface to which the frame 21 and cushion 22 may be secured and the said frame 21 is so disposed relative to the hinge 23 that it will lie away from the front plate 5 when folded and not in use, and fit closely against the frame 18 when extended for use as a bed, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. A hasp or keeper 2 1-. is secured to the frame 21 and is adapted to be engaged by a spring bolt or latch 25 on the rear side of the frame 18 so that the said frame 21, with its cushion 22, will be supported above the bottom plate 4 when the device is folded and will consequently not occupy space which may be utilized for the storage of bed clothing. A chain or other flexible connection 26 is preferably attached to the bolt 25 and extends to the front of the frame 18 where it is supported in a suitable guide 27, the said chain furnishing a convenient means of releasing the latch when it is desired to use the device as a bed. The side of the frame 21 to which the hasp or keeper 2 1 is secured will, for convenience, be termed the free edge to distinguish it from the hinged side of the frame. To the free side of the frame 21, I secure, by suitable hinges, a bar 28 to the ends of which are rigidly attached feet or supports 29 and to the center of which is secured a handle or lever arm 30.

In arranging the device for use as a bed, the frame 18 is swung up against the upper back member 1 of the main supporting frame and the chain 26 is then pulled so as to disengage the latch or bolt 25 from the hasp or keeper 2 1 after which the lower edge of the under frame 21 may be drawn forward and upward so as to bring the two cushions into the same plane as will be readily understood on reference to the dotted lines of Fig. 3. After the frame 21 has cleared the front side of the main frame, the handle 30 may be grasped so as to swing the supports or feet 29 into position, at right angles to the frame 21, to rest upon the floor of the room and thereby support the free edge or side of the said frame with its cushion. This position of the parts is illustrated in Fig. 1 and it will be readily seen that when this lower or supplemental frame 21 is extended the device may be utilized as a bed. While the cushions or hingedly connected frames may be of such width as to be equal to a standard full size bed, the main cushion 1 1 will be sufliciently narrow to come within the lines of an ordinary sofa frame and the device. may, consequently, be moved from one room to another through a door-way without anyinconvenience and the device may be therefore readily used at whatever place the owner desires. The particular manner of upholstering the device is immaterial and I have shown the cushions as secured directly to the frames provided for their support, but any other well known form of mattress or cushion may be employed without involving a departurefrom the invention. The cushion 22, which may be termed a supplemental cushion, is upholstered in cheap material, or may be merely covered with bed ticking, but the main cushion 1 1 will, of course, be covered with some desirable material, such as tapestry, in order to have a sightly appearance and not detract from the value of the device as a settee or sofa. It will be readily noted that the cushions fold into a very compact form and there are no complicated systems of levers or other.

mechanisms to be manipulated in order to arrange the device for use as a bed.

The detachable nature of the pivotal supports permits the cushions or mattresses to be removed from the sofa frame when they are to be cleaned or repaired Without requiring the removal of the sofa frame from the room in which it is placed and injury to the sofa frame through careless use of the device is consequently reduced to the minimum. The location of the pivotal supports in advance of the extreme rear edge of the upper cushion frame permits the said frame, as before stated, to rest against the back of the main frame so that the rear edge of the cushion will not rub against the wall of the room and consequently it is not necessary to move the main frame. The folding cushion frames may also be supported in this position by the back of the main sofa frame while the bed clothing is being removed from the receptacle furnished by the lower portion of the main frame and both hands of the operator are thus left free for the purpose of removing the bed clothing. It will also be noted that the cross bar 28, with the handle and supports secured thereto, is hinged to the supplemental frame 21 in such manner that the said supports and handle will lie between the two cushion frames when the device is folded as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement of the parts permits the operator to unfold them by a continuous motion in one direction and consequently permits the device to be arranged very quickly for use as a settee or a bed.

While any form of caster may be fitted to the several posts or supports, I prefer to employ a shoe or runner 31 as the device will then stand more steadily in any position and yet may be easily moved from point to point when necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is 1. In a folding sofa bed, the combination with a supporting f 'ame and a back member extending above the same, of a main cushion frame pivoted forwardly of its rear edge and forward of the back member to the rear portion of said supporting frame and adapted to he swung upward and rearward to a rearwardly inclined position so as to rest against said back member in raised position, and a foldable cushion frame pivoted to the main cushion frame and adapted to be folded below or extended beyond the same, said back member serving to support the main cushion frame during the manipulation of said foldable cushion frame.

2. In a folding sofa bed, the combination with a supporting frame having a receptacle in its lower portion, and upper and lower back members spaced apart to provide a ventilating opening for said receptacle, of a main cushion frame pivoted to the rear portion of said supporting frame below the upper edge of said upper back member whereby the latter is adapted to support said main cushion frame when raised, and a foldable cushion frame pivoted to the main cushion frame and adapted to be folded below or extended beyond the same.

3. In a folding sofa bed, the combination with a supporting frame, of a main cushion frame pivoted to the rear portion of said supporting frame, and a foldable cushion frame pivoted to the main cushion frame inward of the front edge of the latter whereby said main cushion frame is adapted to rest directly upon the front edge of the supporting frame while said foldable cushion frame is adapted to fold entirely within the same.

l. In a folding sofa bed, the combination of a main supporting frame, a cushion pivotally mounted in said frame, a hinge member secured to the under side of the cushion in rear of but adjacent the front edge thereof, a second hinge member connected to the front end of the first-mentioned hinge member, a supplemental cushion secured to said second hinge member and spaced from the point of connection between the hinge members, and means for detachably securing the supplemental cushion to the underside of the pivotally mounted cushion.

In a folding sofa bed, the combination of a main supporting frame, a cushion frame pivotally mounted near its back edge in said main frame, a supplemental frame hinged to the under side of the cushion frame adjacent the front edge thereof, a locking mechanism adapted to secure the supplemental frame to the cushion frame at the back edge thereof, and releasing means extending from said locking mechanism between the cushion and supplemental frames to the front edge of the cushion frame.

In testimony whereof I a ilix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. MARTIN KIM.

Witnesses Geo. E. KIM, ALBERT KIM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

